HELP: IS it Possible to Capture DV to DiVX directly via FireWIRE?

[trihorn]

Well... the topic kinda says it all..

I'm trying to capture a movie from my DV-Camera to the PC. I can capture it without any probs to Adobe in DV-format, which is HUGE!!!

AND

I can capture using MS MovieMaker in all kinds of 'web-formats'...

BUT...

Can I also capture directly using the DiVX codec? or xVID?
If so... how?

Please help,

Thanks,
TriHorn

[MadMatty]

I think it may be ! If you have a VERY fast PC you may be able to do it, have a look on the Virtual Dub (look at http://www.virtualdub.org/docs_capture) web site, I think you can do DV capture (if you have the appropiate software interface) with the latest version and you may be able to encode on the fly at the full frame rate.

you may have to use some other audio input (line in on sound card) as it is a problem in this software.

As I say you may need a very fast PC or I suspect you will drop lots of frames.

Good luck.

[trihorn]

Thanks for that info!

But allas...

I think I fall into the category that is described by VirtualDub as:

VirtualDub needs a Video for Windows capture driver to capture. Most Firewire (DV) devices do not provide a VFW driver, and thus cannot be used by VirtualDub at all.

When I set my capturedriver to VFW, only my webcam is listed, not the DV cam.

BTW, I use the firewire port on my SB Audigy.

Still open for suggestions

[Rincewind256]

Divx is the great codec to archive movies on cdr, but for DV-capture you better use a DV-codec or another fileformat like MOV or WMV.

[MadMatty]

I ran into the same problem.

'VirtualDub needs a Video for Windows capture driver to capture. Most Firewire (DV) devices do not provide a VFW driver, and thus cannot be used by VirtualDub at all. '


Spent months looking for a suitable VFW, but I did find my solution after I upgraded to XP. I dint have to worry looking after that.

[trihorn]

how do you mean? I use XP as well.... and still, nothing!
when I choose VFW I can only capture my Webcam but not the DV Camera...

I know there MUST be a way, because Windows Movie Maker does it as well... but not in divx or any other codec... there also doesn't seem to be a way to configure the codecs used..

please, enlighten me...

[MadMatty]

I am encoding using V.dub at the moment but when it's finished I will have a look at how I set it up and what drivers/codecs ect are in use with my DV

Matty

P.S. might be later on sunday (its 20% on second pass so i might just wait up and check it for you) as it is way past bed time heheh.

[MadMatty]

VERY sorry but I cant find out how I did it but I know i did because I am workng on a DV i did (3/4 weeks ago) for work at the moment !!!


I used to do it with Video Wave 4 (it keep crashing but that was probably all the other junk on the PC). See if you can locate a demo of Video Wave 5 and try that (not to hard to work with either and it may come with a DV Video For Windows driver).

If I get a chance I will find out how I did it last time and post it here but I change PC config so offen it's hard to keep track

[setarip]

To trihorn

Despite the very substantial filesize, you are better off initially capturing in the Adobe format and then subsequently converting to DivX. DivX compression on-the-fly typically results in an unacceptable number of dropped frames...

[MadMatty]

I did hear that there was a video card that had hardware Divx capture (at least 6 months ago). Not sure haw this would work because divx is still evolving!

Has anyone else heard or seen anything new about this?